Hurricane Otis

Why in the news?

  • Hurricane Otis has made landfall on the coast of southern of Mexico, bringing wind speeds of up to 270 kilometres per hour.
  • Authorities have warned of a life-threatening storm surge and the possibility of landslides as heavy rain pelts the area.
  • School classes across the state were cancelled in preparation for the storm’s arrival.

Hurricane Otis

  • Hurricane Otis is a small but very powerful and devastating tropical cyclone which made landfall in southern Mexico coast.
  • Hurricane Otis caught many by surprise as none of the common forecasting models predicted Otis would intensify so quickly.
  • Hurricane Otis is a Category 4

Hurricane

  • Hurricanes, known as cyclones or typhoons in different parts of the world, are powerful and destructive weather phenomena
  • According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 119 kilometres per hour (74 miles per hour) or greater.
  • Formation: Hurricanes typically form over warm ocean waters when the sea surface temperature is above 26 degrees Celsius. They start as tropical depressions and can intensify into hurricanes.
  • Categories: Hurricanes are categorized on the Saffir-Simpson scale from Category 1 (weakest) to Category 5 (strongest), based on their wind speed. Understanding these categories is essential for assessing potential damage.
  • Hurricanes are not limited to a specific region. They are also known as typhoons in the Western Pacific and cyclones in the Indian Ocean.

Recent Cyclones In India

  • Cyclone Hamoon in Bay of Bengal Region.
  • Biparjoy in Arabian Sea Region.
  • Mocha(Category 5) In Bay of Bengal Region.
  • Sitrang In Bay of Bengal Region.
  • Asani In Bay of Bengal Region.